Skies and Fire (A Perfect Match)
by SilverStreaksofStardust
Summary: There are a lot of things that Jason Grace never admitted to Leo Valdez, especially the sort-of crush on him. But when the Latino comes back, things get complicated.
1. It's as if you don't see

**.: Skies and Fire (A Perfect Match) :.**

 _Falling In Love With My Best Friend_

 **Disclaimer:** With the exception of my own plots/OC's, etc.; Rick Riordan owns the rest (quotes, characters, etc.). The Psych Theme song ("I Know, You Know" by _The Friendly Indians_ ) is obviously not mine. No copy infringement intended.

 **Warning** : Valgrace (Jason/Leo) pairing

* * *

"'I would think you'd know better, Jason Grace.' Cupid's voice whirled around him. You've found true love, after all. Or do you still doubt yourself?'"

— The House of Hades, pg. 285

* * *

 **Chapter One** : **JASON**

it's as if you don't see

There was one thing that made me extremely guilty of—feelings I couldn't force down or even control. Somehow, my secret was safe. But I suspected Nico knew in a way.

I had an unhealthy crush on Leo Valdez.

I suppose it was unhealthy—there was a certain rule: Friends couldn't fall in love with each other. I mean, sure, I have heard of romantic stories—boy and girl are friends forever and get married in the future. That was probably like Percy and Annabeth. But this was different.

We're talking about two guys, in which one uses humour and sarcasm 24/7 and then there's me: the Planner. The person who would rather follow his head than his heart.

My feelings, of course, couldn't be returned—Leo, I'm pretty sure, is straight. I mean, he falls in love with every girl out of his league, which is just setting up for trouble.

Whenever yet another girl breaks his heart, I wanted to shout: 'Why don't you take him? Leo is an amazing person! He's funny, cute, and smart. What else do you want?'

Both luckily and unfortunately, I could never say that out loud. Then the son of Hephaestus will know my crush. And then I know I'll either cry or make a fool of myself when I get rejected.

 _Because I will still love him_.

Cupid's words rang in my ears, each sentence shattering my whole heart. Even though he was an odd sadist, there were some parts of truth in his speech. Love is not kind. Love is a powerful weapon. It was strange that he didn't ask me who I loved. Or maybe he knew that I was hurt enough, to have it being unrequited—that I won't have a chance. He must have some pleasure in people having heartbreak—after all, those arrows looked like they were determined to decapitate someone.

When Leo disappeared . . . there was shock. Was this Leo Valdez, who was the most determined and stubborn demigod of the Seven? The one who will rise everyone's hopes up, and have a smile every day? He helped mostly on his part to kill Gaea, and he died.

Gods, the Fates were obviously making his heroism a joke. Leo should've been offered to become a god! Or not have died and came back.

Piper comforted me, her soothing words that only a sister could do. We both equally wished the death was prevented.

When we mentioned the nicknames about Leo, my heart tugged. Leo . . . the Tofu Making Expert. Leo Valdez . . . and Happy the Dragon.

I could almost hear him saying to me, mischievous eyes lighting up, "Loosen up, Grace. I swear you're an eighty-year old trapped in a teenager's body. Speaking of such, ever watched _The Invasion of the Body Snatchers?_ "

But there will not be any of his annoying yet endearing jokes, or strange activities. When they made a shroud for Leo, I hid in my cabin afterwards.

A faint song nagged in the back of head. As I lay in my bed, awake for the purpose of reviewing fond memories, I smiled, yet it wavered when I recited lyrics through my mind.

 _In between the lines there's a lot of obscurity_  
 _I'm not inclined to resign to maturity_  
 _If it's all right, then you're all wrong_  
 _Why bounce around to the same damn song_  
 _You'd rather run when you can't crawl_

The entire verse reminded me of the Latino. Countless memories viewed through my head like a slideshow.

On the bus in Arizona, Buford the Table adventure (in which the song was played), travelling on the quest with my memory gone . . .

 _I know, you know_  
 _That I'm not telling the truth_  
 _I know, you know_  
 _They just don't have any proof_

What hurt was that I suspected Leo's death was my fault. If I had just _known_ that Leo would've done a risky move, I could save him. I could fly, and catch him. In fact, the fire-bender always did rash decisions but in the end, all will be forgiven. His eyes sparkled when doing his dreaded weapon move: the puppy face. He was definitely cute as one. In fact, an odd thing was I could vision Leo as a small pug. Small, yet hyper.

 _Embrace the deception_  
 _Learn how to bend_  
 _Your worst inhibitions tend to psych you out in the end_

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise outside.

" _AHHHHHHHHHH_!" a guttural scream tore through the air. It was followed by a loud THUMP.

Goosebumps rose on my arms and legs, dread stirring in my stomach.

The door to my cabin swung open, and Piper stood there, eyes tearful.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I-It's Leo! He's here!" she managed to say. "But he's hurt."

I scrambled out of bed, shoving my glasses on.

We both ran out, spotting Festus the Dragon creaking and moaning when he saw us. They must have landed without any sense of direction in the darkness.

A few demigods were already out, flashlights sported in their hands.

"Hey, can I use one?" I asked.

A guy just handed it to me. "Dude, I think those guys are dead."

I ignored him and searched, finally seeing a body lying on the ground. "Leo—" I began, making my way towards him, but was cut off.

" _Leo!_ " a girl cried. She was right where I was going to be, in front of Leo's body. Tears were running down her face, and eyes stained red.

I froze. Who was she? Obviously she knew Leo . . .

"I-I have to sing," the girl sobbed. "Please, give me some space."

A few half-bloods obeyed, backing off. Others, like me, were stubbornly staying put.

Percy Jackson raced up towards me. "Gods, I heard from Annabeth—" he stopped. "Calypso?"

The girl, who had her hands placed on Leo's chest as if giving CPR—glanced up. "Percy Jackson?"

Annoyed, I pushed Calypso aside and anxiously checked Leo's pulse. He was blinking, and soon moaned.

"Jason?" he muttered.

"Yes! It's me," I told him excitedly.

"Oh my gods, Leo, you're okay!" Calypso burst out, jabbing me in the shoulder.

"Yeah, Sunshine. The Amazing Leo Valdez will never die," Leo said weakly.

I was annoyed at the nickname that came out of the son of Hephaestus' mouth. "Who are you?" I said to the girl.

She pushed her brown hair back impatiently. "I'm Leo's girlfriend."

I mulled that over. "Oh. So, you and Leo . . . ?"

"Yes, we are dating."

"Uh, can I get some help? I kind of crashed on the ground and my body's broken," Leo said, letting out another moan. He may be melodramatic, but you could never tell from the son of Hephaestus.

There was a moment of panicking and whispers around.

"What do we do?"

"We should get Chiron."

"I think Chiron is sleeping."

"How would you know?"

"It's four in the morning, idiot!"

"I'm not an idiot!"

"The guy might be dying—any ideas on how to help?"

"I dunno—call an Apollo kid."

A person rushed through the crowd, carrying an emergency kit. He had blond hair and blue eyes—resembling his Godly parent, Apollo.

"Will, what are you doing?" a girl asked.

The boy called Will replied, "I'm taking him to the infirmary, of course. Brett, can you help carry—?"

"I can carry him," I piped in.

"Oh, thanks." Will studied me, and then looked away, as if realizing something.

I scooped Leo in my arms. Surprisingly, he was asleep. His face was relaxed, and his lips taunting me. His body shifted slightly, so that he was pressed against my chest.

I slowly exhaled, my pulse beating faster. Warmth spread through my body, and I couldn't help but think: _He's perfect_.

Will was walking already, and I followed him. "Any idea what happened?" Will questioned, without looking at me.

"Yeah. I think he fell from a high distance. Broken bones, bruises, and maybe hypothermia."

The younger demigod cocked his head. "You like him."

"He's my friend."

"No, I mean you love him more than just a friend."

The smell of the infirmary made my stomach lurch a bit. It was like a strong disinfectant; one that was not odorless. That must be why I felt light-headed all of a sudden.

I faced Will, wondering if I should keep denying it. The son of Apollo, as far as I know, does not seem like the type to gossip. "No, I just—maybe."

"I'm getting air freshener soon," Will commented. He shifted the topic quickly, which I was grateful for.

I placed Leo on a bed gingerly, while Will grabbed ambrosia squares.

We just watched the Latino for a while, before I finally said, "I do love him. Leo, I mean."

Will nodded. "I know."

"It's just . . . I know Leo won't love me the same way. He apparently has a girlfriend."

"You never know. Love works in mysterious ways," Will grinned. "Believe me, I had my fair share of unreciprocated romance. There was this guy I liked back then. Still do. He's always on my mind—"

" _He_?" I turned red as the word came out.

"Yes, my crush is on a guy." Will waved his hand dismissively. "We're in the same boat. Now, as I was saying, this guy went through a lot. He never noticed me until one day. But, I think we shared a special connection when he registered me."

"Like Leo and I," I said.

"Hmmm, maybe." Will's smile tugged playfully across his face. For a fifteen-year old, he was pretty bright.

I patted his shoulder, and walked out of the infirmary.


	2. I'm confused to what I feel about you

**A/N** : Thank you to all of those who favourite, followed, and/or reviewed! I don't know how many chapters this story will be . . . hopefully at least ten (because that's a really perfect number).

I am aware that Austin Lake (portrayed clearly in the Trials of Apollo) isn't the same in this story. My version is a sixteen-year old with red hair. Already we know that this is not canon . . .

CrazyBlueOwl: Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you like the story.

SoldatinoForNico: Haha, yeah, I used to watch the TV show.

CanadianMaple: Yes, I'm writing more :) I figured to continue with this story until I feel that it's coming to an end.

* * *

 **Chapter Two: LEO**

i'm confused to what i feel about you

I think it was better if I just died. At least I won't have to endure the torture. Pain exploded throughout every inch of my body, and a small part of fear spiked my chest.

I know what you're thinking—Mr. McShizzle, Defeater of Dirt Face, _scared_?

Yeah. I'm as shocked as all of you.

That guy, Hill Socker or something, held out something to me. For a second, I wondered if they were raisin oatmeal cookies, or another type of healthy snack since this was the infirmary, but they turned out to be ambrosia squares which were way better.

"I think it's better if I take the whole package," I muttered. "Wait . . . does ambrosia even come in packages? Or does Hermes ship them to Camp Half-Blood?"

"I honestly don't know. But you know that if you take too much, you'll burn up." _Insert parentally frown here_ , I thought. "Well, Leo, your friend—uh, the girl with the brown hair—"

"Calypso," I supplied.

"— yeah, she's in a better state but just needs some rest. She came by to visit yesterday, but you were still unconscious. Jason also visited you."

"How long was I out exactly?"

"Three days."

"What!" I sat up, my body protesting in pain. My head throbbed, and I lied back down. Sadly, the pain didn't go away—maybe the pillow underneath my head was flat or something. The demigod in front of me shot a sympathetic look. "Listen, _Bill So-Late_ —"

"Will Solace."

"Whatever. I can't be in the hospital for three days! I mean, I feel _great_!" I attempted a smile, but maybe it looked like a grimace, because Will shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stay in the infirmary. If you leave, your injuries will only get worse, and Hera Heaven's knows what will make you worse. No offence, but you don't exactly look like you could be trusted with anything sharp."

I smiled. "You know what's weird? Your name is Will, and when you say 'will' which is not your name, but the modal verb, it's kind of funny. Hey, can you say 'Will Will pass his will against his will'?"

Will, however, was not amused, which was such a shame. Instead, he gave his disapproving look before walking away.

"Hey! Come back! Who else _will_ I share my jokes with?"

* * *

When being left alone, I was completely bored out of my mind. I attempted to entertain myself, such as watching the digital clock hanging up on the wall, or seeing how far I could calculate my multiplication tables.

I was up to 13 times 379 when I gave up, realizing it was truly pathetic. I mean, I know how to throw amazing parties! I helped build a dragon! I'm like Amazing Party Guy (though not crazy like those Maenads). With no other option, I turn to the one thing used in emergencies like these.

"I'm going to die," I sang, "just lying here. I'm going to die, just lying here."

Silence.

"How typical. You know, Silence, you're my one and only best friend. You're the one who's always been with me through the pain and misery of my sad life. Too bad you can't talk. Or will that be ironic if you can?" It might've been a big low that I was basically talking to no one, but at least it dissipated any type of anxiety or worries in my mind.

I started to sing my rendition of _Rolling in the Deep_ by Adele (which was amazing if I do say so myself), when the curtains suddenly opened.

"Leo Valdez!"

I looked at a guy with red hair and tanned skin. His teeth were really white, I noticed. And his body—wait . . . Why am I observing him? Come on, I like Calypso, and she's a girl. I've always liked girls. Heck, I've spent most of my short-termed life chasing girls. Some situations were even literal.

"I'm Austin, Will's sibling," the demigod greeted.

"You have great eyes," I commented, the blue irises reminding me of Jason. Well, his were much lighter . . . like the sky, than Austin's. In fact, if you compare any guy to Jason, they all looked like scrawny nerds. It was just a fact. Who could compete with Jason's physique, and that golden hair? That in-control attitude, and— _Okay, back to reality!_

"Thanks," Austin laughed, "but I'm taken. Emily from the Hecate cabin is my girlfriend."

I turned red. Was I really so obvious? And why did I think of the way Jason looked _now_? Gods, this could ruin my whole relationship with Calypso and whatever I have with Jason!

 _No, stop, feelings_ , I mentally commanded, _you do_ NOT _feel any sort of attraction to your best friend. It's forbidden! Particularly in the clichés department._

"Um, Leo?"

"Oh, sorry, was I saying that out loud?" I laughed nervously.

"Don't worry. We all learned how to block out your voice. Especially when you sing," the son of Apollo said wearily.

"I'm not—I don't prefer guys. I love girls. You know, just to clear the air. Not that I'm homophobic or anything, in fact, I support everyone. Even those outcasts who were mental robots. I'm dating Calypso, so, yeah. . ."

"Hey, we're all here for you. Don't worry."

And of course with that being said, I worried.


	3. Could you understand that I love you?

**A/N** : Thanks to CanadianMaple who added this story to his/her community!

And HashtagMC, where are you? I'll probably not bombard you with questions, though. Life is crazy.

*This chapter was written with the help of an apple, my brain, and re-reading this entire thing. And I WILL finish this story, do not fret. As some of you noticed, I edited the previous chapters.*

* * *

"Leo managed a little smile. 'Yeah, see. I do annoy you.'"

— The Lost Hero

* * *

 **Chapter Three: JASON**

could you understand that i love you?

I tapped my fingers against my leg anxiously, as Will came out of the infirmary.

"Jason? Are you still here?" he asked, stopping at the doorway.

"Yeah, I was wondering, uh, if Leo is going to be okay."

"He is, but I'm afraid he's driving all of us crazy."

I laughed. "That sounds like him. Can I visit him?"

"Yeah, go for it." Will opened the door wider as I went inside. "You might be able to keep him quiet," he continued. "His room is the one with the singing or loud thoughts."

I nodded my head, successfully hearing a voice.

 _"Man, why do people assume I like you all of a sudden? I mean, I'm not against the idea, but I have Calypso."_

I raised my eyebrows. Was Leo talking to someone? I never knew he had the tendency of talking out loud, so it must be a conversation.

 _"You're my best friend, so it's really awkward."_

 _Piper_. Leo must be talking to Piper, because that was the only other person that the son of Hephaestus was close with. Deciding it was awkward to intrude, but I had a reason to—since technically, people though Piper and I were dating—I stepped in.

Leo blanched when he saw me, hastily grabbing a pillow and hiding his face. "H-Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I'm just checking. So, it looks like you can speak," I said, scrutinizing the room. Nobody was in sight. I discreetly checked under the bed, just to see if she was hiding there. _Nope, not ther_ e. "Who were you talking to?"

The pillow was still clutched in Leo's hands, and I pulled it away, the sight startling me. The Latino's face was totally red—I mean, I have seen him embarrassed before, but at this moment it was the reddest of all. Maybe he was sick. I didn't hear him crack any jokes . . . yet.

"To myself," Leo admitted. "It's becoming a habit, lately. I have nothing else to do, so I just think."

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. How could he act so charming, being all flustered? It was impossible, but he pulled it off. Always.

"Is Calypso coming, too?"

"Um, no, she doesn't know that you're conscious."

"So we're alone."

"I guess so." I rubbed my neck, feeling a flush creep up my neck already.

"Do you know what two guys do together, all alone?" he asked in a teasing voice.

My face was probably burning by now. "Dude, let's talk about some stuff. So I'm guessing you used the Physician's Cure. . ." He nodded his head. "How did you go to Ogygia twice?'

"Don't you already know, Grace? I'm a special case. As to answer my question, two guys . . . all alone . . . discuss ways to prank all of their friends! What'd you think I meant?"

"Nothing!" I made a mental note to act unreadable. But I swore that Leo had that familiar glint in his eyes, as if he was playing with me. It was hard to tell, though, so I went on to the next topic that spelled my entire being: uninteresting. "Don't you love clouds? I mean, there's the cumulus, cirrocumulus, cirrocumulus, and fog. . ." Hoping not to sound like a geek, which failed, I added quickly, "Cloud-watching is kind of like a hobby for me."

For his part, Leo actually joined in. "When I was, like, six-years old, I saw one cloud shaped as a tampon!"

 _And how would you reply to that, exactly?_ I nodded my head absentmindedly, wishing that it could be back in the past, when I didn't have these feelings. "Cool. I, uh, saw one shaped like a bunny."

"Do you want to sit down or something? You're towering over me like a huge shadow," he said.

Great. I was huge. I sat down on the edge of his bed, and made the mistake of locking his brown eyes with mine. This signaled for my heart to drum faster. Gods. Why did his brown eyes have to be so brown and melting? I could just stare at them all day. . .

"Do I have something on my face?"

"Nah." I looked away.

When Will arrived, saving the both of us from awkward silence, he delivered great news: Leo could get back on his feet and go out of the infirmary.

"I'll never get three days of my life back," Leo told me, "because I was sleeping. Hey, do I talk in my sleep or something?"

"No. But you do snore loudly."

He pouted at me. "Everyone does that!"

"Aw, are you embarrassed, Flame-Thrower?"

He hissed like a cat, and I resisted the urge to kiss him right there. Cat-Leo was a drive to my hormones. That feeling went away, though, when I realised that Leo and Calypso will reunite. Half of me wanted him to stay longer in the infirmary, but that wouldn't be fair at all. As long as he was happy, sure, I could accept Calypso. It might be hard, but there was no other option.

Will gave me a nod, as if he knew what I was thinking. He probably did.

Love sucks.


	4. Could you accept me for the way I am?

**A/N** : Thanks for everything. This means reading, reviewing, favouriting, following . . . and if you did any of these by accident, or hated this story, hey, thanks. Still cool you came upon this. Now, you can read or ignore the following note, because it is long. And yes, it's relevant - sort of. I could make a condensed version, but I think you get the point(s).

1\. Quick thing to explain the two ships—I do ship Caleo. But I feel that there's not enough moments to make it cute, you know? And Jason and Piper portrayed were great—but what disappointed me was that Jason didn't have a scene that showed his personal flaws. I know he was Praetor, past was hard, and he had to act a certain way and be all 'perfect', but I think it could deeper in his perspective. The moment when he and Piper watched the stars and Jason was breaking the rules was an adorable moment, so I found lots of respect for him. It was like moving on, and I like to think that he was bold at that moment because Leo was gone (so you can twist it into a Valgrace moment).

2\. The titles for each chapters don't actually relate to what's inside the chapter—once the story is complete, it'll show a couple of sentences that form dialogue. I was inspired by 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World', by **Calla Mae** which in fact hers is way more awesome. If anybody is a fan of _The Maze Runner_ , you should go check her story out.

3\. Somebody was worried that this will also have Pernico in it. Um, don't worry—this WON'T be a Pernico story. Strictly Valgrace only. If I write my two favourite ships, this story may be crazy :) Contrary to belief, I do ship Percabeth. Who wouldn't especially after their Underwater Kiss and Falling Into Tartarus? I suppose that's why most Pernico stories are AU or Annabeth dies.

4\. After that being said (yeah, I'm on a roll for a long author's note) this story may be fast-paced. I was thinking of having the process go slowly, but I don't have the patience. So obviously I will add time skips. If this were a slow story, you'll have to suffer through long conversations, Jason acting strange, Leo developing the feelings, and Calypso drifting away.

5\. Reviews -

HashtagMC: I thought you were gone or something, because I haven't heard from you lately. Happy to know you're still here. By 'here', I mean on FanFiction. And that you're alive, of course :p

Zunifex: Thanks for the review, kudos to you! (That was bad rhyming, I know...)

Oh, and I forgot to say thank you to TooLazyToLogin/TooLazyToSignIn. Your reviews were amazing! I am pretty sure you're the same person, and I'm glad that you weren't too lazy to review. Couldn't help but smile and ohmygods, I love them. Whoever you are, I'm giving you a virtual cookie (although that doesn't make sense)

SPOILER ALERT: In _The Trials of Apollo_ , I was disappointed of how Leo returned because first: Jason and Piper weren't there. Off to some school or whatever in Los Angeles? I forgot. Second: The reunion sounded kind of fake. I mean, random demigods were just going up to Leo and crying and punching him. Oh, wait, some of those were his cabin siblings, sorry. I actually skimmed through the book, so I am not sure if Jason/Piper/Leo reunited or not yet. Speaking of which, I should probably read it again for Solangelo. In total, Apollo is an awesome character! I felt like his characterization was a bit off. He didn't sound like he was eons years old, but maybe his speech changes since he's a teenager.

* * *

 **Chapter Four: LEO**

could you accept me for the way I am?

So what does a demigod who has just been unconscious for three whole days do? Good question.

Normal people would probably chat with their friends and stuff, maybe act like it's all okay and reassure, but by now you should know I wasn't exactly, erm, _normal_. I blame my complete awesomeness, so you can see how it can be a curse. People don't exactly get me, seeing some scrawny boy acting like a lunatic. In my eyes . . . I see a scrawny yet hot guy acting cool (which both cancel each other out into the version of that awesomeness). We all have our perspectives.

I found Calypso in the Dining Pavilion, the sight amazing me because first: she blended in with her jeans and white blouse, and second: she was laughing with Percy and Annabeth. I couldn't help but feel kind of irritated, because yes, Percy did leave her in Ogygia but now they were acting like the best of buddies.

 _Whoa, she likes you_ , I reminded myself. _There's no reason to be jealous_. "Guess who's not dead, Sunshine!" I announced, walking over to the Poseidon table.

Her eyes brightened. "Leo," the former Titaness said slowly, "I suppose you do have a death wish. How can one person be so stupid?"

I knew it was her way of saying she loved me, _glad you're not dead_ , and so I grinned. "Beats me."

"Hey, man," Percy greeted happily. He was eating pizza, but it laid forgotten when he noticed me. "We had many theories of when you were going to come back. First, you were a ghost going to haunt us. Second —"

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "I swear, Nico would probably come kill you if you keep mentioning that."

"It's not implausible!"

"Wow, I always wanted to be a ghost," I said, but Percy and Annabeth were already bickering about the theory. "You guys do know that Calypso and me flew on a dragon, traveled around the world, and came here, right?"

"I think we should leave this old married couple alone," Calypso teased. "Are there any places you wish to show me?"

"Yeah!" I suspected it was a girl's dream to go to the forge—I mean, come on, who doesn't like the smell of oil and hammer noises that sound like someone boxing against a vehicle? Fun times. _Hm, that came out wrong_. She followed alongside me, but was biting her lip. "Something wrong, Sunshine?"

"When we left the island, I—"

"Lost your powers," I finished.

"Yes. Are you okay with that?"

"I'm okay if you are."

She studied me for a moment before smiling. "Of course I'm okay. When I was on the island, I worried that nobody could ever rescue me off. Sometimes I was so close to freedom, but then they will leave me behind. It was part of my curse. It was _you_ who made me believe that I will get off the island. You brought hope, not sadness. It's what I needed."

 _Was this the right moment to kiss?_ I didn't know. Gods, what if she expected me to say something intelligible back? My internal thinking must have been too long, though, because Calypso looked away. Yeah, I messed-up. Such a bad boyfriend. "I always wondered about the meaning of life." _Okay, good. I struck a deep conversation._

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean, is . . ." I grabbed her hand, a spree of bravery in me, and continued, "If each person had a purpose in life, that sounds depressing. I mean, the mortals work, demigods fight—that's it. And the bad guys apparently kill because they have nothing better to do." Calypso let go of my hand, and I realised I hit a sore subject. Right, her father was a Titan. "Um, what I meant was . . ." _What did I mean_?

"Good night," she said, and then quickly went away. I didn't know where because I was too busy chastising myself.

 _Stupid_. I should have stopped right there. What was wrong with me? My mind dimly echoed to me, _Everything_. And then I registered her words 'good night'. I looked up at the clear, blue sky and the sun beating down at my face.

Having a ex-Titaness being pissed off at me was not on my checklist.

* * *

I figured spending hours inside the Bunker 9 was reasonable. Calypso needed time to think whether I was even worth it, given that I screwed-up on an offending topic.

I fiddled with the bolt on an automaton. I've decided to make an android just for fun. That sounds crazy, I know, but it was a good pastime. I could actually move, and let myself pour my thoughts into building. Lying confined in one space really affected my ADHD.

" _Voila_ ," I said. " _C'est fini!_ " I hold the remote in my right hand, commanding the machinery to move to the left. Instead, it took steps toward me. Its feet made a CLUNK, CLUNK sound, and panicking, I threw the controllers at its head. The android paused, and then continued walking.

"HELP! I have created a monster!" I shouted, leaping out into the woods. Maybe I could have crushed it with my foot, or whatever, but I wasn't thinking straight. What freaked me out was that it was following me.

A couple of campers stared at me, giving the usual okay-he's-a-weirdo before continuing to their schedule.

I spotted Piper walking, chatting to a small girl with braces. "Hey, Beauty Queen, you need to help me!"

"What's wrong?" Her eyes widened at me, and I reminded myself that we haven't talked in a while.

" _That!_ " The cyborg, instead of tripping over the ground, hopped over the roots and rocks. "Remind me never to insert a chip containing IQ of a dolphin."

"I don't see what's wrong."

"Make it stop following me creepily!" I hid behind the daughter of Aphrodite's back, which may have been pointless, because she was shorter.

The girl with braces rolled her eyes at me. "Get a grip."

"Oh, please! You're only eight—you won't understand what the word 'stalker' means."

"From what I gathered, you created the walking contraption. And I am not eight; I am ten years old and very mature for my age."

I figured she was either the daughter of Athena or Demeter, and flicked Piper's arm.

Piper had an amused look, but it disappeared when the cyborg advanced forwards, and went over her sneakers. "Ahh!" she yelped. "Get off!" The automaton froze for a moment, and Piper shook her foot, flinging it feet away into a tree. "What in the Hades was that, Leo?"

"One of my inventions." She gave me a Look, and then tackled me into a hug that was suffocating. Sometimes I underestimated her strength.

And then we had a friendly conversation, bringing back to the Gaea War—when I died—which kind of sounded repetitive to me.

Piper: Gods, Leo! You are so stupid!

Me: Yeah.

Piper: You gave me a heart attack!

Me: Yeah.

Piper: You nearly ruined my life!

Me: Yeah.

While she was running out of things, I added, "I missed you."

She dissolved into tears. "Stupid," she mumbled.

* * *

Five hours later, figuring I was pathetic to stand outside the Hermes cabin, waiting for Calypso to come out, I went in. It wasn't the smartest move, naturally. Since there was no Atlas cabin, Calypso had to survive in Cabin Eleven _._

The many Hermes campers were yelling, punching, stealing each other's things, and one guy was just sitting on his bed eating Doritos. I found the former Titaness sitting in an empty corner, drawing in a notebook.

"I thought gardening was your thing?" I questioned.

She slowly looked up, the corners of her mouth twitching. "I picked up more hobbies, too."

"So, can we talk?"

Standing up, Calypso wisely kept her sketchbook in her hand. I think she was doodling a cow, but it was hard to see with the angle. "Let's go to some place quieter."

We walked out, and ducked just in time when a shoe was flung out the door. I felt sorry for the chaos. If I had that many siblings who were annoying, I'll disown them. In a technical mater, of course.

Appropriate enough, it was sunset and most people outside were going indoors. A group of demigods were playing a volleyball game, the last moments of it. One side cheered as the ball hit the net.

"There is so much," Calypso said in awe. I could tell she was amazed about everything. If we were an ordinary couple, I'll introduce her to the world of _Doctor Who_ , or _Adventure Time_. But I did notice that nothing was ordinary.

"Do you regret leaving Ogygia with me?" I asked, which was blunt of me. Should I have been less serious? _Nah,_ s _eriousness was Jason's thing._

"No . . ." She cautiously approached closer, like I was about to go psycho on her. "I'm glad that you rescued me. But now that I'm a mortal, I think I need to focus on adjusting to this life. It wasn't easy waiting for eons. Our relationship is just going to be temporarily off, and the thing is . . . if we see other people, it may change what we feel about each other."

"That's true." I nodded mechanically, my throat running dry. _It's over. She's saying we're not right for each other, but over-layering it with excuses._ I decided to test this. "I guess it wouldn't have worked out anyway."

"Yes."

"After all," I added, "I'm not one of those fairy-tale princes. I'm not chivalrous—I'm sarcastic. I'm not strong—but I can face the truth. I-I'm not even _close_ to being perfect—but I try."

"Leo . . ." Calypso looked sad, and my heart broke.

"Sorry I'm not good enough for you."

"Leo—"

"Hey, it's okay. We're still friends, right?" It was going to be painful if we were, but it was a polite thing to say.

She wrapped her arms around me, and I tried with difficulty not to cry—I really did.


	5. Don't you realize you are all I need?

"Humor was a good way to hide the pain."

— Leo Valdez, _The Lost Hero_

* * *

 **Chapter Five: JASON**

don't you realize you are all i need?

I must have been dreaming.

That was the only logical thing I could think of, because Leo Valdez barged in my cabin, two in the morning, crying. The evidence was red-rimmed eyes and an upset frown across his usual-smiling face. His disheveled hair was signs that A) he had bed-head; or B) he was anxious and absentmindedly messed his hair up in curlier locks. It was probably both. And, yeah, he looked _hot_ —but that was not the point.

"What's wrong?" I demanded. Seeing him distressed made me in a confused and protective mode. I sat up in my bed, as he stood near the end, brown eyes filled with hurt.

Realising he had a few tears, Leo muttered quietly, "Oh, I thought I was done." He wiped his eyes. "Sorry, I was cutting onions."

I decided to let that lie pass—I didn't want to sound nosy. But the curiosity was eating me up inside. "Leo, you can tell me. I'm your friend."

As if that was the final signal, Leo sighed, blinking furiously. "Okay, so maybe I don't actually cut onions—and that may be a creepy thing to do, especially in the morning. Doesn't Lou Ellen collect sagewort and belladonna at midnight, though?"

"She's not actually a witch. I think one of her siblings is Wiccan, though."

"Whatever. The reason why I'm all mopey is because Calypso—she, well, thought we weren't compatible."

I could tell that I would be awake for a while, and reached for my glasses, putting them on. My mood shifted to slight confusion when I registered that Leo chose me. Over Piper. Over talking to kids from the Athena or Aphrodite cabin. I couldn't mess anything between us, because Leo trusted me enough. It was good, I suppose, to tell each other our problems, but it reminded me once more of how our relationship was simply, one hundred percent, platonic.

"Why would she think you're incompatible?" Fatigue never completely left me, so my words came out in a mumbled tone.

"Isn't it obvious? She's used to having those knights in shining armour. Someone like Percy—or you." He shrugged, as if meaning, _it's just the truth_. "If I'm compared to anyone in the Seven, I'm—"

"The Awesome One. The Funny One. The guy that is incredible, smart, and thoughtful."

"Uh . . ." he stared at me in surprise. "Did you hit your head or something? Because I could have sworn that you COMPLIMENTED me. And, well, you don't usually do that."

If I looked in his eyes, I swear that I'll be a flustered mess, despite the fact he couldn't see. I became interested to where the Zeus statue was standing, feeling self-conscious that the sculpture could hear us converse. "Listen, Leo, you are an amazing guy."

"That explains my luck with girls."

"Exactly—you just hadn't found the right one yet. Although I think even _considering_ Khione may have been a colossal fail in the end."

"Dude, I couldn't control my hormones! Besides, we were opposites. And dare I say it, incompatible."

"Snow and fire . . . I agree."

Leo's smile faded. "Shocking enough, I-I'm not that sad. I think I'm used to rejection."

I bit my lip, wondering if that was even a good thing. Getting used to being discarded lost hope, and I feared that Leo will soon have enough and become a miserable, hating-love demigod.

"I think I'm going to stay away from dating."

"Probably for the best. But you do know that some things couldn't happen? I mean, if you think about it, it wasn't you that drove them away."

"Yeah." He sighed. "Khione was a goddess who turned out being evil, Hazel chose Frank, Thalia is a Hunter, Calypso broke up with me, and you—uh, I mean, Piper has you."

"You had a crush on Piper?!" I was mind-blown. And not in a good way.

"No. I meant, you two found love like way before even though you didn't know each other."

"Oh. Well, that would have been a cool thought . . . if we were together."

This time it was his turn to be shocked. "You two are perfect for each other!"

"Really?" I looked into his eyes to detect any sarcasm, and he gave a genuine smile.

"Uh, duh!"

"While we're on the subject of honesty. . ." I felt my palms sweat at even the thought of it. Was it even a good time? Leo could be understanding, but I couldn't bear it if he regarded me in disgust or we lost whatever we had between us.

"What?"

 _Never be ashamed of who you are,_ I thought. I always tried to follow that rule. If I was ever going to help lead, or protect people, I had to show them that I was worthy—that I was confident and comfortable with everything including myself. My mind was opened to whatever crazy things there were, and so I guess it was normal for me to become attracted to both sexes.

 _You can do this. You always wanted to. Say something!_

Calmly, without my voice wavering, I said, "I love you." It was devoid of emotion, which may have been a problem. And maybe the word 'love' itself was stretching things too far. Let me tell you, it usually ended in the other person freaking out.

"Wait, what?" Leo walked closer, moving to my side.

My breath hitched. I don't think I could say it again. That was my moment of bravery; what I have always wanted to say. And, ironically enough, Leo didn't hear. "I'm bisexual." If I couldn't have the guts to say the first, at least the second would be an option.

"Oh, congratulations, dude!" We did a fistbump, which made me grin. "You know, it's nice to hang out with my best friend. You know what's a good match? Skies and fire."

"Really? I don't think that makes sense, actually." I tried to wrap my mind around the scene, but fire couldn't even reach the sky. I suppose the smoke from the flames reach into the air, but not completely.

"Warped logic." He gave a nod. "You see, the fire . . . it burns, ruining everything in its past and leaves it brittle or melted. The sky ahead changes its colours, and depending on the weather, sends lightning, rain, sunshine—in a technical matter, of course."

"Still don't get it."

"But the fire doesn't happen without three things: oxygen, heat, and fuel. And the sky doesn't change without the climate or environment. Point is, in my case, the sky and fire need each other and to do so it affects everything."

"From what I'm hearing, it sounds like you're just starting a science class."

"Oh." He blushed faintly. "What I'm trying to say, is that I will always need you, so shut up and let me be vague."

". . ."

"I mean that with kindness and respect, of course."

We continued to joke around, and maybe I was wrong, but Leo didn't think of Calypso too much. There weren't that much worries, because they washed away from us spending time—we felt loose, and could use sarcasm and humour with the other just getting it.

Our time went up to the point when we had to go to the Dining Pavilion, but I didn't want to leave. Not now.

One thing that did make me wonder, though, is if Leo pretended to not hear my confession. He had tilted his head to the side, going into a discussion about mechanical engineering.

 _I love you_.

"—and that's why you should not exterminate pigeons."

"Wait, what?"

Leo gave a cheeky smile. "You weren't listening to me."


	6. What is with all of these questions?

**A/N** : I think this story will actually have eight chapters rather than ten. Looking at what I have written so far, chapter eight I can't quite write any more but we'll see. Thank you for sticking with me this far. It means a lot.

Also, apparently I'm going on a trip with my family, and it probably won't have wi-fi there :/ so I have no idea when I can have the next update.

* * *

 **Chapter Six: LEO**

what is with all of these questions?

It took about two weeks before I came to think about the conversation again. When Jason comforted me. For once, he looked—and this may sound crazy— _really_ hot. I mean, he was always good-looking: it was a fact. But it seemed to make me appreciate it more.

When I had entered his cabin, his blue eyes seemed to shine and his cheeks flushed from sleeping. His light hair was tousled, some strands sticking up comically but seemed to suit. The son of Jupiter was usually tense and trying to be the leader because nobody wanted to play it. But all seriousness aside, he was the best person you could hang out with.

I couldn't help but grin to myself. _Whoa, why was I thinking about this, even?_ He's, like, my best friend - I shouldn't have these types of thought. It was crazy, right? I walked out of my cabin, feeling pretty well despite it being early in the morning.

I suddenly frowned when I noticed Calypso walking out of the Hermes cabin, racing to some person near Cabin Ten. Being the person I am, I assumed she had a motive to get another guy.

I guess the Aphrodite children could be good matchmakers, but I thought Calypso wanted to be single for a longer time. Or maybe she was trying to make me jealous? The speculation was pretty crazy, because she was the one who broke up with me.

 _Gods, get it through your thick head! She doesn't want you anymore._ I shook my head, muttering to myself. _Did you think that since you rescued her she'll be by your side forever_?

I was not the type to get any girl, or heck, even guy. But truth be told, Calypso and I don't really seem to be connected in the first place. It was more like infatuation; the type of hero-rescues-princess relationship. It seemed to make sense that we'd end up together, but beyond the rescuing, it was just two people who felt the need for company. Calypso was not a Princess, and I wasn't a Hero. It was just a role that needed to be played.

Maybe Calypso already thought of this before me. She wanted me to realise that the attachment was not at all attraction. And, well, maybe she was right. Like usual. But there were also a few selfish reasons. Calypso had been stuck on the island for, like, eternity, so of course she wanted to meet other people and explore the world. I was fifteen; she was like eons old, technically the same age—we probably wouldn't have lasted in the future anyway.

I bit my lip, walking to Bunker 9. It seemed that whenever I wanted to think, it was always that place. It was also where the Argo II ship was thought of, a close place to where I met Festus—great memories, really. The malfunctioning robot I had previously set up was luckily turned off, so I had no problem being stalked.

My thoughts went to Jason for the millionth time of the day. Why can't I get him out of my head lately? It was weird. I shouldn't think of him in a way like _this_ ; like thinking how his perfect smile lit up his entire face, or blue eyes look so blue and face—well, he was _perfect_. Despite his need for perfection and control, he admitted to me once how he was tired of living up to the expectations. Being the son of Jupiter, he had to be powerful, and had to be a role model.

I remember I'd said, 'Don't worry about that. Just be yourself' like the original guy I am. He was still ever-so-stony, but whenever I managed for him to break the façade, he acted chill. It was nice that he acted like that towards me.

 _Am I, like, bi-curious?_ I thought. Since Jason said he was bisexual, I started to wonder who I was attracted to. Girls were always in my head – but maybe there was an exception for guys, like. . . Jason? But that didn't make any sense.

These crazy thoughts about crushing on Jason made me so confused, and I didn't like it. Emotions are complicated; people are complicated. We weren't machines to perform simple things; we all had wants and needs. An obvious fact was how easily you could get hurt.

 _Why does my chest hurt whenever I think of Jason?_ It was painful, because there's hope but despair. Jason was like the first person who stuck by me, along with Piper. I usually drove people away with my serious ADHD and talking. I knew I acted all annoying, but I don't want people to forget about me.

Taking a scrap of paper (which was actually a set of blueprints) and using a pencil, I began to draw a simple list: the pros and cons of Jason. Reasonably, I thought of it like a test: to see if I liked Jason more than a friend. It was probably not best for deducting what my sexuality was, and face it, it doesn't really help. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Jason Grace

Pros:

 _\- Taller Than Me_

 _\- Bluest eyes_

 _\- Best friend_

 _\- Has no girlfriend_

 _\- May like guys_

 _\- Hot (around six degrees, which is impossible)_

 _\- Smart(ish)_

Cons:

 _\- Taller than me_

 _\- Best friend_

 _\- Out of my league_

 _\- May be straight_

An afterthought, I wrote in the cons section, _Doesn't like me back_.

 _Wow, I sound so pathetic_. I crumpled the blueprints and threw it on the ground. It really wasn't going to solve anything.

* * *

Later today, Jason came by to visit me. I was surprised that he knew where I was, but then again, he might have asked my siblings.

"You weren't at breakfast," he said. "Or lunch."

I shrugged.

He sighed, sitting beside me on the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're not talking that much."

I wanted to ignore how my heart was racing, how my hands became sweaty. Damn, my reaction scared me. Why was I becoming more self-conscious? Why could I not stop glancing at Jason and resist the urge to giggle?

"At least people won't mind."

"What are you talking about?" Jason leaned closer in to me.

"Let's be obvious. I'm annoying," I said, thinking once again of how I drove people away.

Jason bumped his shoulder against mine gently. "Gods, you're not annoying. I love spending time with you, especially talking about machines."

"Even though you have no clue what I'm saying?" I raised an eyebrow, or at least tried to, but both of them always go up.

"Yeah, I learn something every day." Jason gave his usual picture-perfect smile, but it looked genuine. "Let's get you something to eat."

I reluctantly got up. "You better sit beside me."

"Of course." He laughed, and then paused. "Hey, what's that?"

I glanced over to where he picked up a crumpled sheet of paper. Slowly, horror sank in my expression as I realised what he was about to read.

"Wait, no!" I shouted desperately, putting my hands up as if surrendering. "Don't open it—it has my top-secret blueprints for taking over the world!"

Jason nodded his head, as if understanding. "Hey, don't worry, we'll both dominate together."

Sometimes I wondered if he realised what came out of his mouth. He probably wasn't dirty-minded, though. I lunged towards him unexpectedly, which caused us to crash to the floor. He froze, as I ripped the paper out of his hand. "Ha!"

"Leo," he said, flustered, "could you get off me?"

"Right, sorry." I flattened my hands against his chest, feeling the tense muscles and then I nearly blinked, embarrassed. That was an accident—I didn't mean to touch him. _What was I even doing?_ For a moment, I didn't move at all. Jason let out a shaky breath, bringing my attention to his lips.

 _What in the Hades—Why was I—I can't think at all!_

"You okay? You look kind of feverish." He smiled beatifically, and we both made our way to our feet.

"I'm, uh, okay." I wrung my hands nervously. "Totally fine."

"Great," he said, and then quickly took the paper from my hands.

 _Oh gods_ , I thought. I knew I should have torn it when I had the chance! _Wait, maybe I could escape? Or at least find a good distraction_. Instead, I watched nervously, dreading the moment I would get rejection.

His eyes skimmed my horrible handwriting, face no longer smiling.

I swallowed. _He hates me, he hates me._ "Jason, look—"

He ignored me, dropping the paper back to the ground. "Leo, what is this? Why are you listing what you like and hate about me?"

"I-I just wanted to know. . ." I took a deep breath. "I like you?"

"'Like me'?" The son of Jupiter repeated in disbelief. I wasn't sure if he was mortified already.

I looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "You're, like, my best friend. I like you more than one. Can I go eat some tacos now?"


End file.
